


The Matchmakers

by iceblink



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humor, Mildred and friends play matchmaker, Romance, gay witches in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-12-23 08:51:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11986401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceblink/pseuds/iceblink
Summary: When Mildred, Maud and Enid go looking for a potions test in Miss Hardbroom's room, they manage to eavesdrop on a rather interesting conversation that sparks ideas for a matchmaking scheme.Could the Worst Witch be the one to help her strict potions teacher find love?





	1. Things Half Seen

"This is a terrible idea," Maud whispered, shaking her head in tired resignation as Mildred, Maud and Enid crept along the corridor to the teachers' quarters. They were careful to make as little noise as possible; yes, they were invisible, but none of them had mastered the silencing potion yet. "Why can't you just _study_ , Mildred?"

"I've tried," Mildred replied, but she had to admit that she didn't feel good about Enid's plan. Her mum had always taught her not to cheat. Then again, she really _had_ tried to study; it's just that there were so many potions to learn, and knowing HB, she'd try to trick them by putting something really difficult on the test. It felt like HB always wanted her to fail.

"What other choice have we got?" Enid said. "If Mildred doesn't pass who knows what'll happen, and - well, Millie, it's not looking great so far."

Mildred shrugged. Enid had a point: her last attempt at the summoning potion had resulted in her temporarily turning Maud into a warthog, much to Miss Hardbroom's annoyance. Maud still had a few whiskery hairs above her nose. "It's easy; we sneak in, get the test, quickly look at what's on it, and then help Millie study the right potions."

The corridor was dark and quiet as they crept towards the door to Miss Hardbroom's quarters, Enid at the front. She gave a broad smile as she rattled the lock: it was open! "Come on!" It should be fine; they'd seen HB head on patrol to the first year corridors and knew the route she took, knew she wouldn't be back for a good few minutes yet, but Mildred's heart still thumped in her chest. Yes, she'd snuck into Miss Cackle's room last year to get the keys for the confiscation cupboard, but that had almost ended _really_ badly. And this was _Miss Hardbroom_. Why on earth had she let Enid talk her into this? "

It'll be fine, Millie," Enid pleaded, a wicked grin on her face. "She's just a teacher; it's not like she's going to have an army of goblins hidden under her bed or anything." Mildred swallowed. That didn't seem _entirely_ impossible. From behind her, she could hear Maud gulp as Enid slowly, quietly turned the knob.

To Mildred's relief, the room looked surprisingly normal; it was simply decorated, with much less chintz than Miss Cackle's, but there wasn't actually that much black. A neat desk, a large mahogany wardrobe, a well-stocked bookshelf, a bed with plain white covers and purple cushions, two armchairs, a low coffee table, and a roaring fire in the grate. Almost cosy, Mildred thought - or as cosy as strict old HB would ever get.

The three headed across the room towards the desk by the window; the test, surely, must be on there, or in one of the drawers? As they neared it, however, Mildred felt Maud's hand tap her slowly on the shoulder, before grabbing her hand and pointing with it towards the coffee table. On it were two half-drunk cups of tea, a plate of two pink-iced doughnuts, and a chessboard.

Mildred's heart started thumping. Miss Hardbroom hadn't been in here alone. Which meant that-

Before she could finish her thought, Maud's hand rose with hers to point towards a second, closed door, from behind which were faint noises. Panicking, Mildred grabbed Enid, but before they could run for it, they heard a voice.

"Back so soon, Hiccup?" came a cheerful tone that Mildred recognised immediately. _Miss Pentangle_. Of course, she thought, dazed, the doughnuts, but any brief feeling of happiness she had that the two teachers had mended their friendship was quickly replaced by panic. They had to get out: the invisibility potion wouldn't last much longer than half an hour, and who knows how long Miss Pentangle would stay for?

She couldn't see Maud or Enid's faces, but just as she was about to make a run for it, the noises behind the door got louder: Mildred heard a flushing toilet, and a tap running. Before she knew it, she was being pulled backwards by a pair of arms, and she pulled Enid back along with her, all three of them landing together with a thud in the wardrobe.

Maud, she realised, her brain catching up with her location. Maud had opened the door and pulled them in. She hurriedly pushed the doors shut, and pushed back the array of long black dresses that were tickling her face. How many identical black robes did a witch _need_ , anyway?

"Ssh," Maud whispered, and all three girls attempted to freeze, squashed up next to one another. Luckily the wardrobe was huge, and didn't appear to creak too much, although Mildred worried that with one wrong move she'd be shoved out of the door back into the room. Soon enough, the bathroom door opened, and squinting through the keyhole Mildred could make out the figure of Miss Pentangle, dressed not in her formal pink robes but in what seemed to be a pair of dark pink pyjamas. _What on earth?_ Her hair was down, and Mildred thought she looked soft, somehow. Still beautiful, but cosy, like the fire. This was _not_ what Mildred had expected.

"Strange," Miss Pentangle mused out loud, looking around the room in confusion as she closed the door behind her. "I could have sworn I heard a voice." Shrugging, she waved her hand, and soft piano music filled the room. She sat herself down in one of the armchairs, sighing with contentment, before sipping her tea and picking up one of the remaining doughnuts.

Mildred held her breath, trying not to make the slightest noise. The music helped a little, but the tiniest move and they risked being discovered. Miss Pentangle was nice, yes, but Mildred doubted that she'd be willing to overlook them sneaking into Miss Hardbroom's room to try and cheat on a potions test. From behind her, she felt a pair of hands squeezing her shoulders with a death grip. Maud. The message was clear: _I told you so._

A few minutes passed, and the girls sweated in the wardrobe. Mildred was trying to think of a plan to get out, but there was nothing. She could see the faint outline of her hands starting to emerge by the keyhole light: the invisibility potion was already starting to wear off. They mustn't have mixed it quite right. There was nothing for it now but to wait it out and hope. 

Eventually, after minutes watching Miss Pentangle steadily eat a doughnut and leaf through a couple of Miss Hardbroom's books that she'd selected from the bookshelf, the door opened, and in strode the imposing figure of HB. Mildred drew in a silent breath. If they were caught, that was it - she'd expel them, if not grind them to bits and add them as extra special ingredients to her potions laboratory. They were done for.

"All done, Hecate?" Miss Pentangle said, smiling at Miss Hardbroom. "Terrified the girls into bed as usual?"

"But of course," Miss Hardbroom said, with what looked like a very slight smirk on her face. She shrugged off the black dressing gown she wore to patrol the corridor, placing it neatly on a hook behind the door, and to Mildred's surprise Miss Hardbroom was wearing dark purple pyjamas, just like Miss Pentangle's. _What on earth?_

"Now, where were we?" Miss Pentangle smiled as HB sat down in the chair opposite her, and picked up her half-drunk cup of tea.

"I believe, Pippa," Miss Hardbroom drawled in her superior way, although Mildred could see that she was smiling slightly as she fixed Miss Pentangle with a stare. "That you've had enough time to study the board to realise that you have entirely no hope of winning this game."

Miss Pentangle, who'd now moved to sit cross-legged in her armchair, gave an exaggerated pout, but followed it with a smile. "Fine," she huffed, resignedly moving one of the chess pieces, which HB then followed by triumphantly moving one of hers, a smirk on her face.

"Checkmate, Miss Pentangle," HB sneered, leaning back slowly, her arms placed along the side of her chair as if she was a queen on her throne. She was gloating, Mildred realised. This was _weird_.

Miss Pentangle stuck out her tongue slightly, before picking up the last remaining doughnut on the plate. "Yes," she said, looking at the board and sighing with a smile. "I suppose I shall simply have to comfort eat to get over the terrible loss."

"You've had three already," Miss Hardbroom remarked, her eyebrow twitching as Miss Pentangle moved the doughnut towards her mouth. "Honestly."

"Well, it's not as if _you'd_ want one, Hiccup, is it," Miss Pentangle teased. "With all this sugar, and icing?" She held the doughnut in her hand out towards Miss Hardbroom, who continued to look at her with a raised, slightly amused eyebrow, before suddenly grabbing the doughnut and taking a large bite. Mildred struggled to choke down her gasp at seeing her strict potions teacher so - well, how could she describe it? So _playful_. And _Hiccup_? 

"Hecate Elizabeth Hardbroom," Pippa smiled, raising a hand to her mouth in fake shock. "I see I'm a still a terrible influence on you."

Miss Hardbroom continued to eat the doughnut, although she looked at it rather suspiciously, as if it might explode in her hand. "That, Pipsqueak, is hardly news. It seems that not that much has changed in thirty years." _Pipsqueak?_

"No, it doesn't," Miss Pentangle replied softly, and Mildred thought she seemed suddenly sad. Miss Hardbroom didn't reply, and a stillness seemed to descend over the room as the two teachers gazed at one another, HB holding the half-eaten doughnut in her hand. Slowly, the stillness became awkward, like they didn't quite know what to say to each other.

"How- how are your second years?" Miss Pentangle eventually asked, uncrossing her legs to sit properly on her chair, and it seemed as if they'd become grown ups again. Even if they were still in their pyjamas.

"Easily distracted," Miss Hardbroom replied; she'd put the doughnut down now back on the plate. Miss Pentangle didn't pick it up. "I can't remember us ever having been so silly."

"They'll get there," Miss Pentangle replied. "How's Mildred?" From behind her, Mildred felt a finger poke her in the back - Enid, almost certainly. Still, she for some reason found herself a little nervous about what HB would say. Probably not anything good.

"Still refusing to apply herself, I'm afraid," Miss Hardbroom said, arching an eyebrow as she took a sip of tea.

"Don't be too hard on her, Hecate," Miss Pentangle sighed. "She's trying her best. It can't be easy, being the only girl from a non-witching family."

"I imagine not," Miss Hardbroom says, her lips thin. "It's just frustrating, Pippa; there are such glimmers of potential, of real power, of imagination, but then day-to-day there are just so many constant mishaps. And she's far too prone to taking the easy option instead of applying herself." Mildred dimly saw that Maud's head, half-visible, was alongside hers, and that she was nodding it vigorously - the spell was definitely wearing off now - but all Mildred could think about is that Miss Hardbroom thought _she_ had potential. And, guiltily, that she _had_ gone for the easy option; she'd been willing to cheat to see the paper, even though she knew it was wrong. She felt disappointed in herself.

"I keep trying to set her challenges, to get her to prove to herself that she can do it," Miss Hardbroom continued.

"To no avail?" Miss Pentangle queried, cocking her head sympathetically.

"Well, I've given the second years a mid-term potions exam, just to get them to apply themselves to their studies - _especially_ Mildred. But so far Mildred's efforts at revising have resulted in her turning Maud Spellbody into a warthog and sending herself into a ten hour sleep just before her chanting lesson."

Mildred heard Enid stifle a giggle, and poked her in the side.

"Ah," Miss Pentangle nodded, and Mildred could see she was smiling too. "Well, I daresay dear old Miss Bat would have hardly noticed; aren't sleeping girls rather par for the course in her classes?"

"Alas, I wish it were just the pupils," Miss Hardbroom quipped, and the two were now smiling at one another again, as if the awkwardness from before had gone. Mildred continued to stare at them, squinting through the keyhole. What exactly was happening here? Miss Hardbroom picked back up the doughnut and began to nibble at it.

"See," Miss Pentangle said, gesturing at the doughnut. "They're entirely addictive. Even you, Hiccup, are powerless to resist the lure of sugar."

"Is that so?" HB replied. "I shall have you know, Pippa, that my powers of self-control are second to none. I am merely choosing to indulge you by eating this particular," - and here she gazed at it with contempt - "item."

"I find, Hecate," Miss Pentangle started softly, looking down at her long pink nails, "that there is something to be said for, just occasionally, letting go of all self-control. Perhaps," she continued, a soft smile on her face, "it would do you good to try it sometime, Hiccup."

At that, for some reason Miss Hardbroom's cheeks flushed a bright shade of red, as Miss Pentangle smiled innocently at her. Mildred didn't know exactly what Miss Pentangle had meant by the statement, but she knew it wasn't often that her potions teacher was left without a reply.

"Ahem," HB coughed, her face still red as she looked down at her watch, which, even in her purple pyjamas, she still had around her neck. "Perhaps it's - it's late, Pippa, and I'm teaching first period."

"Kicking me out again?" Miss Pentangle smiled, and Mildred wasn't sure if she sounded amused or a little bit sad as she looked at her wristwatch. "You're right, Hiccup, it is late, and I must fly back - I can't believe how quickly these Tuesday evenings just whizz by. It's just so wonderful to see you again."

At that, HB blushed again, before eventually stuttering out "you....you too, Pippa." She seemed so _shy_ , all of a sudden, Mildred thought, like she didn't know what to do without the stern and strict pose she'd mastered so well. "I'll come to the tower and see you off."

Mildred didn't know what to think. Part of her was overjoyed that it seemed they were going - now they had a chance to escape - but another part of her wanted them to continue their conversation. It had been interesting, like sneaking into another part of someone's life that you weren't supposed to see, and she found herself wanting to know more. 

Suddenly, she heard a noise from next to her: a stifled sneeze. Enid. Rats!

Miss Pentangle must have heard it too, even over the music, for she looked around curiously. "Do you hear anything, Hiccup? It's odd, I swear I heard something before, too."

Miss Hardbroom paused and straightened into her stiff pose, her eyes scanning the room with suspicion. Mildred thought they were done for. Maud squeezed her hand in a death grip, and Millie braced herself. St Joseph's wouldn't be _so_ bad, perhaps; at least they'd have art lessons and you could design things on computers. And she'd made it a year and a term; that wasn't too bad. 

"Must be the wind," HB finally said, and Millie struggled to contain her sigh of relief. "It's a bad night out there, Pippa, please take care."

"Of course," Miss Pentangle smiled. "Although, unlike some people, _I've_ never crashed my broom into a tree while trying to fly with bats."

Miss Hardbroom rolled her eyes. "You are never going to let that one go, are you?"

Miss Pentangle smiled, shaking her head, and she stepped right into Miss Hardbroom's personal space. And then they were, well,  _looking_ at each other again, and it was strange. But wait -  _HB_ had crashed her broom into a tree? _Really?_

After a few seconds, Miss Pentangle finally waved her hand, and she was immediately transformed back into the glamorous figure Mildred had met at the Spelling Bee, her hair coiffed up, make-up on, and elegant pink robes. Finally -  _finally -_ the two witches both waved their hands and transferred away from the room.

In the wardrobe, the girls waited a minute, still not daring to breathe in case HB and Pentangle hadn't really gone. Eventually, Maud gingerly pushed open the wardrobe door. No response. Sensing they didn't have much time, the three girls bounded up and stretched their legs, finding that their bodies were half-visible. They needed to get out _now_ , before HB came back.

As they started to rush for the door, Enid grabbed at Mildred's hand gestured at the desk. On it was a sheet of paper, which, when Mildred looked, was written "Second Year Potions Test."

"Come on then!" Enid looked, "let's get what we came for." 

Mildred shook her head. She couldn't. She didn't want to be a person who took the easy way out. No, either she'd pass the test on her own, or she wouldn't pass it at all. Pulling Enid along behind her, she made for the door, leaving the test untouched on the desk. Closing HB's door behind them, the three girls crept silently back along the corridor, scarcely daring to even breathe until they found themselves safely in Mildred's room, where, overcome with relief, Mildred and Enid collapsed in a fit of nervous giggles. Maud stood shaking her head.

"I  _told_ you that was a bad idea," Maud said. "I can't even feel my feet from crouching down for so long, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack when you  _sneezed,_ Enid."

"Sorry," Enid giggled, looking at least a little sorry, and Mildred found herself unable to suppress her laughs. They'd come _so close_ to getting expelled. Again. " _I_ can't believe we went to all that trouble and you didn't even look," Enid added.

"She doesn't _need_ to look, Enid," Maud pronounced. "She can pass on her own. I'm proud of you, Millie." 

"Thanks," Mildred shrugged, her laughter now under control. "I mean, I knew it wasn't the right thing to do anyway, but HB was right, I suppose. I should work harder, shouldn't take the easy way out." 

"Ah well," Enid said. "You can't fault the plan. And anyway, spying on HB and Pentangle was quite fun."

"Yeah," Mildred said, her eyes widening. "What was that? I mean, _Hiccup_? And _Pipsqueak_?"

Enid snickered, and even Maud looked as if she were now seeing the funny side in the evening. 

"I guess they must have been their old nicknames for one another," Maud said. "They must have been good friends. Must be nice for them to catch up."

"Oh really, Maud, come on," Enid said, looking at Maud as if something was very obvious. " _That_ wasn't two old friends catching up - that was _flirting_. They like each other, silly."

"What?" Maud questioned, looking confused. Mildred, though, nodded to herself: Enid's idea seemed to make a lot of sense. After all, for the whole conversation she'd felt like there was something going on that she wasn't quite getting. Perhaps that was it.

"Oh, come on Maud, it's _sooo_ obvious," Enid said. "Have a bite of this doughnut, Hiccup," she continued, batting her eyelashes and attempting to look coy. "Oh but Pipsqueak, I couldn't," she continued, dropping her voice as she tried to look stern. "I have to make the girls shiver with fear, and it'd totally ruin my image."

"Well, I think it's cute," Mildred said, shrugging. "Who knew that HB could ever be so - I dunno, so-"

"Nice?" Maud said. "I suppose she did seem very different to how she is with us. Not half as scary when she's in purple pyjamas eating a doughnut."

"Do you think her and Miss Pentangle will realise that they like each other?" Mildred pondered. "And, I don't know, get married or something?" For some strange reason, she had a vision of herself, Maud and Enid as flower girls at their wedding. That could be fun. Miss Pentangle would look lovely in a white wedding gown, although probably Miss Hardbroom wouldn't wear a white dress- what were magical weddings like anyway? Did they have them, or did they -

"Earth to Millie," Enid said, jolting Mildred out of her reverie. There was mischief glinting in her eye. "I have an idea."

"Oh no," Maud moaned. " _Please_ tell me it's better than sneaking into HB's bedroom to steal a potions test. Or helping Tabby catch mice by trashing Miss Tapioca's kitchen. Or-"

"-Think about it, Maud," Enid interrupted. "If we can hook HB up with Miss Pentangle, perhaps she'll stop being so grouchy all of the time. Maybe she'll even give us doughnuts..."

"That," Maud pronounced. " _I_ s a terrible idea. Even if you are right about HB and Pentangle, HB would _kill_ us if she ever found out we'd tried to get involved in her _love life_. We once again narrowly avoided getting expelled tonight, and already you want us to follow an even riskier plan!" She looked somewhere between scared and faintly sick.

Mildred though, sort of thought that it was worth a try. Not really because she wanted doughnuts - although they had looked good - but more because, for some reason, she sort of wanted to help HB. Even though Miss Hardbroom hadn't exactly been nice to her, Mildred couldn't shake the feeling that without HB, things wouldn't be quite the same, somehow. And didn't everyone deserve to be happy?

She didn't put it quite like that though. Not to the others. "Enid's right, Maud," she said. "If HB was with Miss Pentangle, perhaps she wouldn't have time to pick at us over every error in our potion, or patrol the school quite as often. And doughnuts on Sundays do sound good."

" _Fine_ ," Maud relented, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Only nothing stupid. And nothing _now_ , Mildred, because you need to go to bed. You've only got two days to study before HB's test. Come and see me in the morning, and we'll go through the growth and shrinking potions again."

"Thanks Maud," Mildred said. She could always trust her best friend. "Night."

And with that, after Enid and Maud left, she collapsed on her bed, looking up at the ceiling in a mixture of relief and wonder. She had to study tomorrow, she knew that. But HB thought she had  _potential -_ the same HB who'd once, apparently, crashed her broomstick into a tree. The same HB who she and her friends might just help find love. 


	2. Attempt One: Truth Potion

They didn’t have much time over the next couple of days to come up with a plan for _Operation Hicsqueak,_ as they’d decided to name it. Maud insisted that Mildred devote her free time to studying for the potions test, and Mildred dutifully obliged, working every morning and evening to learn the ingredients. She was going to try her hardest this time, and prove that she _could_ do it. They did have to hide the sniggers whenever they saw HB, though, with Enid once loudly coughing out ‘Hiccup’ when HB supervised evening prep. That earned her a raised, suspicious eyebrow, and Mildred had to stop herself collapsing in a fit of giggles.  

Now it was the big day. The morning of the potions test. 

“Good morning girls,” Miss Hardbroom whispered as she materialised, clutching in front of her a pile of papers. She looked particularly happy, Mildred thought, although she always did when it was time for a test. “Well, today we shall see _precisely_ how much the ancient craft of potion making is in irreparable decline. To your cauldrons.”

And she swept up the stairs, waving her fingers dramatically to distribute copies of the test to the class. Mildred gulped as the closed paper sat in front of her: hopefully she’d done enough. “I needn’t remind you that you must observe _complete_ silence, and that _any_ attempt to communicate with one another in order to compensate for a _lack of effort_ will result in an immediate _fail_.” She looked at Mildred as she said it, and Mildred could see Ethel a few places away give a smug smirk. 

They started, and Millie turned over the paper. Truth potion. Oh, she _knew_ this one; she’d practiced it with Maud the other day. Busying herself with gathering the ingredients, she felt her confidence rise. Eye of toad, crushed batwing, geranium root, black pondweed, stir clockwise twenty times, add more black pondweed. Then the spell.

_“Pondweed black, and eye of toad,_

_Let pure unvarnish’d truth unfold.”_

She nodded to indicate that she’d finished, and HB came close to her, raising an eyebrow in suspicion as she picked up her ladle and sipped at the potion. Mildred grimaced. Had she put enough geranium root in? She was never quite sure of the difference between the spoon sizes, and - it _was_ geranium root, wasn’t it, not magnolia? Or maybe it was petunia and -

“It seems, _Mildred Hubble_ ,” HB pronounced, “that after fifteen months of utter ineptitude we may finally be making progress. This is not _entirely_ terrible.” 

“Really?” Mildred said, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. She’d actually done it?

“Yes, _really_ ,” HB replied. “You will notice that the potion is a little pale - it should be darker, as you’ve not added enough quite pondweed - but yet it has rendered me briefly unable to lie. Yes, a distinct improvement, Mildred. You have passed.” And with that, she swept off to another cauldron.

Mildred felt her face flush at the rare praise. She’d done it; she’d passed. Without cheating. But then another idea came into her mind, and she felt giddy with anticipation. If HB and Pentangle were to drink a little truth potion during one of their meetings, then, surely, they wouldn’t be able to hide their feelings from one another.  And if they _were_ in love, they’d tell each other, right?

After the test, Mildred gathered Maud and Enid to her, giving Ethel, who barged past her with a sneer on her face, a broad smile. “Well done, you crafty crone!” Enid said, thumping her on the back. “I knew you could do it!” Maud added. “I told you all you had to do was study.”

“Well, now that that’s over,” Mildred said once she’d lapped up the praise. “We can get onto Operation Hicsqueak. I’ve got it; I know how we can get HB and Miss Pentangle together!”

With that, the plan was rapidly formed: next Tuesday, when Miss Pentangle visited, they’d secretly brew some truth potion, and then sneak downstairs in the kitchen to put a little into Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle’s cups of tea. Avoiding Miss Tapioca wouldn’t be too hard - a simple distraction spell should do it - and then, when Miss Tapioca took the tea up, they’d be all set. 

“The only problem is how are we going to know if it’s worked?” Mildred asked. “I mean, it’s too risky to sneak into the wardrobe again.”

"Well, we’ll just have to _not_ know,” Maud said firmly. “Act altruistically, rather than for selfish gain. Like the code says.”

“Unless….,” Enid said, a grin on her face. “You know, there _are_ certain advantages of having rich and famous parents. Look what I got sent in my care package this week.”

She rustled in her pocket, and pulled out a tiny silver device, no bigger than a bluebottle. Mildred peered down at it, and it was shaped like a miniature insect, with beating silver filigree wings. “What’s _that?”_ she questioned, looking down in amazement.

“This,” Enid said, “is a spy-fly. It’s like a magical hidden camera; command it with a spell, and it can fly around and transfer images to a Maglet screen. They’re really rare.”

“Wow,” Mildred said, taking it in her fingers. It buzzed slightly, and Mildred thrust it back into Enid’s hands before she could break it.

“So,” Enid continued. “I command this to go through HB’s keyhole on Tuesday evening, and we can watch everything. They won’t notice a thing.”

Maud shook her head, but Mildred could see that it was half-hearted. This, she thought, was definitely a good plan.  

* * *

Next Tuesday came around rapidly, and, as planned, after dinner Mildred snuck into the potions lab. She had said that she’d make it - after all, she was confident with truth potion now, and the more practice, the better. Once it was done, she met up with Maud - Enid was setting up the spy-fly - and they crept into the kitchen. 

It was dark, lit only by a dingy lamp, and Miss Tapioca was bustling around, grumbling as ever - Mildred could just about make out something about “entitled witches” and “can’t she make her own bloody tea?” Maud muttered a distraction spell, causing a strong thud to sound from the larder, and as Miss Tapioca, sighing, went into investigate, Mildred quickly darted in and dropped a few drops into the each of the cups, stirring it so that it was undetectable. She sniffed it. It looked like normal tea. Smelled like normal tea. 

Creeping out before Miss Tapioca returned, Mildred and Maud walked up to Mildred's room, where Enid was sat on the bed, the Maglet screen all set up for them to observe the fruits of their labour.

All they had to do now was watch and wait.

Sure enough, just as they’d settled on Mildred’s bed to watch the Maglet screen Miss Pentangle materialised, her cheeks slightly flushed from the flight. “Pippa,” HB said, standing from her chair, and instead of a ‘well met’ greeting they immediately came together in a clinging hug. Mildred felt her heart swell a little with excitement; perhaps they wouldn’t have to do too much after all. 

“Awww,” Enid said. “They are sort of cute, aren’t they? I mean, look at them.” They were clasped tightly together, as if neither really wanted to let go.

After a few seconds, Miss Hardbroom pulled back, and the two witches moved to the armchairs, HB sitting down primly while Miss Pentangle let out a sigh of relief and. “Now, let’s change, Hiccup. I’ve been itching to get out of these robes for hours.”

“Not yet, Pippa,” HB replied, looking a little jumpy. “Not until Miss Tapioca’s brought the tea.”

Miss Pentangle shook her head, probably, Mildred thought, at HB being so concerned about Miss Tapioca seeing her in her pyjamas, but her face looked fond. “Always so proper, Hecate. What, are you worried you won’t be able to intimidate Miss Tapioca anymore once she’s seen you in your pyjamas?”

“Well, I don’t seem to intimidate _you_ too much anymore,” HB said, raising an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to think I was _going soft_.” She pronounced the last words with contempt, almost as if they left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Oh, Hiccup darling, you never did,” Miss Pentangle said, leaning forward with a sweet but knowing smile. “I saw straight through you when you were fourteen, and I see straight through you now.  Doesn’t matter a jot whether you’re in your pyjamas or your blackest, _witchiest_ robe.” 

The girls all looked at each other, wide-eyed. “She called her _darling_!” Mildred said. “Maybe we won’t even need the potion.” 

Once again though, like the last meeting, HB seemed lost for words, blushing a faint red and not quite meeting her friend’s eye. 

“That’s not to say, though, that I don’t enjoy seeing your effect on others,” Miss Pentangle continued. “It’s quite - how should I put it - quite majestic, really.”

At that, Miss Hardbroom managed to blush an even brighter red, just managing to stutter out a ‘really, Pipsqueak,’ which earned her a wide-toothed grin back from Miss Pentangle. 

The girls all giggled at seeing their potions teacher so flustered. “Who’d have thought it?” Maud said. “Under all those insults, HB is _really_ awkward.” Mildred nodded. Even _she_ could tell that Miss Pentangle was dropping pretty heavy hints, and HB was clamming up like a hermit crab. She’d never manage to get the girl at _this_ rate. 

“Good thing she’s got _us_ to help her out then, isn’t it?” Enid said. 

“I just hope you two know what you’re doing,” Maud said. 

Just as they were speaking, there was a sharp knock at the door, and in walked Miss Tapioca, a frown on her face. “Here you go, Miss ‘Ardbroom,” she barked, her tone still clearly resentful. “Miss Pentangle. Enjoy yer doughnuts.” With that, she gave a curt nod and plonked the tray with the plate and cups down hard on the coffee table before shuffling back off to the kitchen, leaving the witches no time to thank her.

“Well, isn’t she quite the charmer?” Miss Pentangle quipped as she reached immediately for a doughnut. 

“Miss Tapioca?” Miss Hardbroom said, shaking her head at Miss Pentangle’s eagerness. “Yes, I have suggested to her that she’s perhaps not best suited to the service industry.” 

“Is she a good cook, at least?”

“Well, if you enjoy overbaked meatloaf, boiled potatoes and endless varieties of cabbage, then I imagine you’d find her quite adequate,” HB drawled in her mannered way, cocking her eyebrow.

Miss Pentangle grimaced, and the girls found themselves giggling: HB’s verdict on Miss Tapioca’s food was spot on. Mildred remembered that she’d made fun of Miss Bat last week too: it was quite enjoyable, HB’s sarcasm - at least when it wasn’t aimed at her. 

“Why do you employ her then?” Miss Pentangle questioned, finally - _finally_ \- picking up her cup of tea.

“Oh, you know Ada, Pippa. She’s loyal to a fault, and wouldn’t dream of replacing her with somebody who could actually at least boil an egg. Besides, it does the girls good not to be too pampered. It’s character building.”

“And you teachers can sneak off to Cosie’s Cafe whenever the food becomes too inedible?”

“Precisely,” Miss Hardbroom smiled smugly. “In fact, Ada and I have a delivery service arranged with them. Cheesecake on demand.” _What?_ That wasn’t fair, Cackle and HB eating cheesecake while they had to suffer through Miss Tapioca’s stodgy bread and butter pudding twice a week.

“And here I was thinking that you were such a stickler for the rules, Hecate.” Miss Pentangle smiled. 

“Well, I may have mellowed a little in my dotage,” HB smiled, before, with a wave, transforming both her and Miss Pentangle out of their robes and into the pyjamas they’d worn the previous Tuesday. Their hair flew down around their shoulders, and both looked instantly more relaxed, even HB now sinking into her chair.

“That’s better, Hiccup,” Miss Pentangle sighed, curling her feet up under her like a contented cat. “Now, as I don’t seem to be having much luck at chess recently, I’ve brought a different game for us to play.”

“A _different_ game?” HB said, lips pursed, and Mildred could see she was instantly suspicious. 

“Oh, I rather think you’ll enjoy it, Hiccup,” Miss Pentangle said, reaching into the bag at her feet and pulling out a black packet. Enid zoomed in the spy-fly, and the girls looked at the packet with confusion: it bore a stark white title of _Cards Against Humanity._  "Look at the tagline:  _a party game for horrible people."_ At that, she gave a mischievous smile. 

"You know me so well," HB muttered with a smirk, turning the packet over in her hands. "Well, we shall give it a try. But first, tea."

Finally, both witches picked up their cups of tea, and Mildred peered forward into the Maglet screen. This was it. It wouldn’t take long for the potion to take effect, and then surely the two witches would stop beating around the bush, and confess their feelings to one another. The girls tensed in anticipation as both witches sipped their tea in comfortable silence.

Nothing happened.  

“I see what you mean,” Miss Pentangle said, looking at her tea with faint disgust. “I hadn’t noticed it before, but now you’ve mentioned it, this tea tastes distinctly like leftover pond water.”

“It does,” HB said, giving hers a slow, cautious stir with the spoon. “Rather more so than usual, in fact. Almost as if-“

“It’s odd, I feel, I can’t quite explain - I just feel like I need to-“

With that, Miss Pentangle abruptly put down her tea, and her fingers started quivering. _This was it,_ Mildred thought. She was going to confess her true feelings. 

But instead, Miss Pentangle’s hands continued to quiver and shake, as if she was resisting some unstoppable force. Mildred could see that Miss Hardbroom’s hands were shaking too. Could it be that they were going to - _no,_ Mildred did _not_ want to think about _that._ They'd have to get the spy-fly out of there pretty sharpish. She looked over to Maud, who looked a very funny colour. 

“Millie,” Maud said slowly. “You’re sure you put in black pondweed at the end, right? Not green?”

Mildred thought about it; she couldn’t quite remember. And then it dawned on her, there’d been a pile of weed at the end of the table that was somewhere between green and black. “Er, I’m not sure,” she said apologetically. “It _looked_ black. What difference does it make, anyway?”

“Oh no,” Maud sighed, sounding entirely unsurprised. “Black pondweed added to batwing, eye of toad and geranium root makes a truth potion, _green pondweed_ makes-“ and she paused, hoping Mildred would know the answer from her study.

Mildred wracked her brain. Green pondweed makes - not sneezing potion, that was with eye of newt, not shrinking potion. Ah, she thought, her heart sinking. “Itching potion.” 

“Exactly,” Maud nodded.

“Oops,” Enid giggled. “Well, this should be entertaining.” By now, both teachers were squirming awkwardly in their chairs, trying to resist the temptation to scratch the itches. Eventually, Miss Pentangle gave up, bringing an elegant pink nail to her head.

“What is _in_ this, Hecate?” she squealed, leaping out of her chair. She’d lost all resistance and was now scratching furiously, her fingers moving frantically around her body. Miss Hardbroom, on the other hand, had frozen herself into a statue in her chair, desperately resisting the urge to scratch. 

“I would say, Pippa,” she squealed, her face contorting as she squirmed in frustration, “that we’ve just consumed tea with a little added itching potion.”   

“How on earth are you not scratching, Hiccup?” Miss Pentangle wailed, sounding like a grumpy toddler.

“I told…..you…..Pippa,” HB choked out, looking as if she were about to explode. “Self……control.”

“Oh, sod your self-control!” Miss Pentangle exclaimed. “I’m not being the only one dancing around like a fool.” And with that, she bounced over to HB, itching all the while, before putting a hand to her bonelike arm and….scratching it. The girls looked on, dumbfounded. 

That broke the dam, and HB now stood up, and she was itching as furiously as Miss Pentangle. And, weirdly, they started itching _each other,_ scratching one another’s arms and back, and this was just _disturbing_ , and she and Maud and Enid all looked at one another, caught between hilarity and horror. 

Eventually, they began to stop, panting as they looked at each other, both red-faced and dishevelled in their pyjamas. The potion was wearing off quickly, thank goodness. " _What on earth_?" Miss Pentangle exclaimed, but HB only pursed her lips.

"It seems, Pippa," she said, "that we have been victims of some form of juvenile  _prank._ Itching potion in our tea -and poorly made itching potion at that - I mean  _really, how-"_

"But who on earth would want to-" Miss Pentangle said, shaking her head, although she was starting to laugh.

HB, though, evidently, hadn't seen the funny side; she was stood there with a face like thunder. "That, Pippa, is what I intend to find out," she said, transforming herself and Pippa back into their witching robes before heading for the door.

Uh-oh.

With that, Enid hurriedly performed the spell to summon the spy-fly back to base, and it disappeared through the keyhole, their view of HB and Pentangle replaced with the cold stone walls of the teachers’ corridor. Within 30 seconds, the spy-fly was back, flying into Enid’s hands before she concealed it in her pocket. 

“I think,” Maud said slowly, “that we should probably lay low right now.” 

“I think you’re right,” Mildred said, and Maud and Enid scurried off to their rooms where, if anyone asked, they had been busy all night studying. 

* * *

 

The next morning, Mildred awoke to a rapping at her door. She opened it to find Esmeralda Hallow stood outside. “Millie,” Esme said. “Miss Cackle’s just asked me to wake you. She’d like to see you in her office straight away.”

Mildred’s heart sank. “Do you know….what about?” she inquired, although she already knew the answer.

“No idea,” Esme said in her matter-of-fact way. “Just following orders. Good luck.” And she waved her hand, and Mildred found herself, still in her pyjamas, stood next to Maud and Enid in front of Miss Cackle’s desk. 

“Good morning, girls,” Miss Cackle said.

“Good morning, Miss Cackle,” they murmured dutifully, although they were looking at one another with fear in their eyes. Okay, perhaps this plan hadn't been _exactly_ foolproof.

“Would you care to explain to me,” Miss Cackle started, “precisely why, last night, I had to deal with an irate Miss Hardbroom after she and a visitor to the castle had been afflicted with a rather poorly-brewed itching spell?”

"Er," Mildred started, but trailed off, unable to think of a convincing explanation. Maud and Enid just looked at Miss Cackle in silence. 

"So you don't deny that it was you, then?" Miss Cackle continued. The three looked at one another in silence; Enid, Mildred could tell, wanted to lie, but, really, what could they say? 

"Er...what makes you think that it was us, Miss Cackle?" Mildred tried. 

"Well, Mildred," Miss Cackle sighed. "The fact that you'd managed to drop your chanting book in the kitchen was something of a giveaway." Oh rats, Mildred thought; she had taken her bag with her, and it didn't close properly. “You also managed to leave behind this in the potions lab,” Miss Cackle said, pointing to a page containing instructions for Truth Potion. Gosh, Mildred thought, she really must be more careful with her things. She'd messed up, and got them all into trouble. Again. "Which makes me think that itching potion was not actually what you intended. Now, would you care to explain exactly what this nonsense was about?"

They looked at one another downheartedly. What to say? But before Mildred could think, Maud had started.

"It's just - Miss Cackle, we weren't trying to hurt anyone. We just wanted Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle to -"

"To what, my dear?" Miss Cackle pressed. 

" _Toadmittheirfeelingsforoneanother,"_ Maud muttered, barely breathing between the words. It was embarrassing, when you said it out loud. 

"I rather thought as much," Miss Cackle sighed. "Well, you are lucky that Miss Tapioca returned the book to me before Miss Hardbroom could find it, otherwise I suspect your morning would be rather more unpleasant than it will already be. As it is, you will each write 500 lines of "I will not use magic to meddle in other people's affairs." 

"Yes, Miss Cackle," they murmured, and Mildred felt a distinct sense of relief. They were getting off lightly. 

Just as they turned to leave, Miss Cackle started to speak again. “Girls," she said slowly, as if she were wondering how best to put it. "I think that perhaps it’s best we don’t let Miss Hardbroom know exactly what you girls were up to. As far as she knows, this was an accidental mishap due to poor washing procedures in the kitchens.” She tapped her nose knowingly, and Mildred and her friends nodded. It was _definitely_ best that HB didn’t know. And at least Miss Cackle hadn’t found out about the spy-fly.

“We were just trying to help, Miss Cackle,” Mildred tried, feeling rather small. 

“I know that, Mildred,but in my experience meddling in affairs of the heart rarely ends well. Besides, Miss Hardbroom is a very private person, and, however good your intentions were, I do not think she would very much welcome knowing that three second-year girls were trying to interfere in her personal life.”

“No, Miss Cackle,” Maud replied. 

“You do promise me, girls, that you will leave this be, don’t you?” Miss Cackle said, looking concerned. “That you won’t use any more magic to try and interfere.”

“We promise,” they chanted in unison, although Mildred imagined that Enid was crossing her fingers behind her back.

“You must leave it to Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle to decide what they are to one another. If something is meant to happen, then-“ and she abruptly stopped, as if she knew she’d said too much, and the girls all smiled. “Anyway,” she finished, recovering from the slip, “it is time for you girls to get ready for school."

With that, the girls found themselves quickly transferred back to the second year corridor, where they gathered in a huddle.  

“That,” Maud said, “could have been a lot worse. We’re lucky it was Miss Cackle who found out, and not HB.”

“And that she didn’t know about the spy-fly,” Enid said, cupping the tiny silver creature in her hands. “I do _not_ want to lose this.”

“You know, Miss Cackle thinks we’re right,” Mildred exclaimed, unable to keep her excitement in. “That stuff about ‘you must leave it to them to decide who they are’ and ‘if something is meant to happen’ - she thinks they’re in love too!”

“She’s right, though,” Maud reasoned. “If they _are_ in love, then surely they’ll figure that out themselves? Perhaps we should just leave it alone. You’re finally _out_ of trouble for once, Millie, and in HB’s good books, and yet you two are determined to get yourselves  expelled.”

“Hey,” Enid said, as if she’d realised something. “We promised no more magic. We didn’t promise not to use non-magical means, did we?”

Mildred thought it over. She thought they’d promised to leave it be, but then Miss Cackle _had_ said something about no more magic. And the lines did say something about not using _magic_ to interfere, Perhaps Enid was right, they’d only promised not to use magic. And if they left HB to her own devices, they’d still not be together by the time the girls had left Cackle’s. She really _did_ need the help. 

“Hey, I know who’ll be able to help us!” Mildred exclaimed, deciding this was too important to leave it completely alone. “She reads all sorts of things about love and romance in her magazines.”

“Who?” Maud asked.

“My mum.”

 


	3. Attempt Two: A Special Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more of Hecate being an utterly useless lesbian, and Mildred and co. doing their darnedest to help her out. Complete and unashamed fluff.

The next evening, Mildred mirrored her mum, surprising her in the middle of a bowl of popcorn and an episode of _Bake Off_.

"Millie!" her mum spluttered, her mouth full of kernels. "Sorry for the mess, I thought you'd be another half hour at least. Let me just pause this: it’s patisserie week, you see, and some of them are making a right mess of their _croque-en-bouche_. I swear you'd think they'd never seen a _crême pat_ before. Anyway, you first in the queue this week, love?"

"Something like that," Mildred smiled - she'd convinced Maud and Enid to let her go first; after all, it was necessary for Operation Hicsqueak. “Anyway, mum, I've got something I need to ask you."

"Go on, love," mum said. "Although you know I’m not much help with any of the witchy stuff."

"It's not that," Mildred said. "It's just - you know about love, don't you - from my dad, and that time you dated Jack from your work with the big nose, and all of those novels you read?"

"Novels?" her mum blushed, and Mildred smiled, rolling her eyes. "I've seen them in your room, mum, those books with the silly titles: _The Billionaire's Bosom Bride_ and all that. And it's fine, I think it's nice. Everyone wants love, don't they?"

Her mum chuckled, looking slightly taken aback. “Well, I suppose they do, Millie," she said. "Although I was hoping you were still a bit young for all of that."

"It's not for me, mum," Mildred replied. "I'm just...interested. Anyway, if you like someone, and want to do something really romantic to show them, what sort of things should you do?"

Her mum looked closely at her, as though she was looking for evidence of something in her eyes. "Well," she said, "I suppose there's lots of ways. You can just tell them-"

"That's not an option,” Mildred interrupted.

"Okay then," her mum said carefully. "Well, perhaps you could get them something really nice, something thoughtful, that shows you've listened to them and you know what they care about.”

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Millie said. "Thanks mum!"

"You're welcome, love," her mum said, smiling - but Mildred thought she looked slightly sad. "Millie, I want you to feel you can tell me. I don't care whether it's a boy or a girl, as long as-"

"I told you mum, it's not for _me_ ," Millie chuckled. So _that_ was why her mum had looked weirdly emotional. She'd better tell her the truth before she had a panic attack. "It's just that my friends and I are trying to help one of our teachers. There's this other witch, she's headmistress of another school, see, and they're definitely in love but HB just won't-"

"HB?" her mum interrupted. "HB as in Miss Hardbroom? You mean the snooty woman who acts like she's got a broomstick shoved up her -"

"Er, yeah, that'd be the one," Mildred shrugged, smiling. "She's not that bad really, mum. And she said I was getting better at potions - I passed my potions test, you know. And I think the gifts thing is a great idea, because-"

“Mildred Hubble," her mum said in a warning tone, her eyebrow raised. “Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?"

"Why not?" Mildred smiled. "Like I said, everyone deserves love, right? Even Miss Hardbroom."

“Oh, I can think of plenty of other things that Miss Hardbroom deserves," her mum grumbled, before looking at Mildred, her eyebrow still raised. “Look, I know you mean well, Millie, but be careful you don't go getting yourself expelled again. I know how much you love that school, and somehow I don't think Old Miss Frosty Knickers is going to appreciate your involvement very much."

"I'll be careful, I promise, mum - we're just trying to help her out a little. And the gifts idea is really good, thanks! Anyway, I have to go - love you.”

“Love you too,” her mum said, looking a bit bewildered, but Mildred had already closed the connection, rushing outside to speak to Maud and Enid. She knew _exactly_ how they could find out what HB liked.

* * *

  
The next Tuesday evening, Mildred, Maud and Enid settled themselves on Millie's bed as Enid enchanted the spy-fly. It really was the best device, so tiny that unless you were looking for it, it was almost impossible to see.

“I think we could guess what sort of gift HB would like, without needing to spy on them again,” Maud said. “Some kind of weird potions ingredient, maybe. Or a new pack of detention slips.”

“Oh, but the spying’s the best part!” Enid exclaimed as she watched the Maglet. “Besides, a box of detention slips is _not_ a romantic gift, Maud.” She stopped, mid-sentence, and looked thoughtful. “Well, I suppose maybe for HB. She _is_ weird.”

At that moment, the spy-fly slipped through Miss Hardbroom’s keyhole, and, taking up a discreet position on the top of the doorframe, showed the girls the figure of HB herself, who was sitting reading a book in her chair, although she didn't turn the page once in five minutes, and kept drumming her fingers on the arm. The doughnuts and tea, this evening, had already been delivered, and were sat waiting on the table. 

Finally, Miss Pentangle appeared, and the two witches embraced in a soft hug. Once again, they both hung on just a little too long - and once again it was HB who eventually pulled back. "Come and sit down, Pippa," she said, guiding Miss Pentangle by the arm to the chair before sitting in the opposite one. “Miss Tapioca has already brought our things,” HB said, gesturing to the doughnuts and tea on the table before raising an eyebrow. “I’ve been assured that this week’s offering doesn’t come with any additional seasoning.” 

“I'm glad to hear it,” Miss Pentangle said, waving her arm so that both witches' hair came loose and their robes were replaced by their pyjamas. “I’m assuming it’s still too soon for you to find the whole thing even slightly funny?”

“You assume correctly,” HB said in a dry tone, taking a prim sip of her tea. “Besides, the incident has left me more concerned than ever about Miss Tapioca’s woeful standards of personal hygiene.”

Smiling, Miss Pentangle reached for a doughnut. “Not enough to put me off, Hiccup,” she smiled, taking a large bite. “Now, Hecate, I was thinking that this week we try a slightly more _personal_ game.”

“Ooh, here we go,” Enid said, raising an eyebrow, and Maud and Mildred laughed.

HB’s eyebrows raised, and she looked, frankly, terrified. “Per-personal?” she stuttered.

“Yes,” Miss Pentangle said smoothly, conjuring up a pile of cards that landed on the table. “I’ve brought these cards: on them are twenty questions for us to ask one another. It’s simple, really - all you do is pick a card, and ask the other person the question.”

“Oh, this’ll be perfect!” Mildred said. “We’ll definitely get some information on what sort of gift we should get HB!”

“I see,” Miss Hardbroom said, squirming slightly in her chair. “And is there not some _other_ game we could play?”

“Well, we _could_ try Truth or Dare, although I’m not sure you’d have the courage to -“

“Er- Twenty Questions is fine, Pipsqueak,” Miss Hardbroom said dryly, giving Miss Pentangle a slight smirk. She evidently knew she’d been manipulated.

“Good,” Miss Pentangle said, looking HB in the eye. “Because we have a lot of time to catch up on, Hiccup.”

“Yes,” Miss Hardbroom sighed. “We do. Oh Pippa, I just wish that -“

“I know,” Miss Pentangle said, and they both looked a little sad. “I do too. But I’m just _so_ glad that we’re here now, Hecate. Really I am. Now take a card,” she said firmly, proffering the pile to HB, who gingerly plucked one from Miss Pentangle’s hands.

“What is your favourite colour?” Miss Hardbroom read, smirking at her friend. “Going straight for the difficult questions, I see, Pipsqueak.”

“Well, I thought I’d ease us in,” Miss Pentangle smiled. “To what I’m sure is your complete surprise, my favourite colour is pink. I know you think it silly, but I rather find it just makes me smile. And you - black, I suppose, of course?”

“Actually, no,” HB smiled, shaking her head softly.

“No?”

“Well, I wouldn’t ever _wear_ anything else in public,” HB replied slowly, wrinkling her nose in disdain at Pippa’s bright pink pyjamas. “But it’s not my favourite. My favourite colour is - is green. That dark green - the green of the forest after it rains, when the dew drops off the leaves of the trees and everything feels-“ and she here she stopped herself abruptly, as if realising her voice had become a bit too passionate.

Miss Pentangle looked at her with soft eyes, and reached forward across the table to put a hand on her arm. “Please don't hide," she said, sounding emotional. “Not with me, Hecate.” And she looked directly into Miss Hardbroom’s eyes, not blinking and it was like they were having some sort of silent conversation that Mildred couldn’t quite understand.

Eventually, though, HB nodded, still looking at Miss Pentangle. “I will try, Pippa. Really, I will. You know I don’t find it easy to - to-”

“I know, darling,” Miss Pentangle said softly, moving her arm away and sitting back in her chair. "But you can, with me. If you want to."

HB nodded slowly, twice, before sitting back straight in her chair to regain her composure. “So, yes, er - green. Dark green,” she summarised, her face flushed. “Not black. Er - anyway,” she said, darting her face away as she picked up another card. “Which character would you be in _Harry Potter_? Now, Pipsqueak, really, what makes you think I would ever have read or watched-“

Miss Pentangle just raised a sceptical eyebrow at her friend. “Fine,” HB said in a superior tone, waving the card dramatically between her fingers. “Go on then, _Rita Skeeter_ , who would you be?”

At that, Miss Pentangle huffed in mock annoyance before thrusting her head forward proudly. “Why, Hermione Granger, of course. Clever, brave, a good friend…”

“Of course,” HB smirked, and Miss Pentangle nodded, picking up her tea. “Although I do seem to remember,” HB added nonchalantly, “that a certain Dolores Umbridge was also particularly fond of pink…” She now had a broad, mischievous grin on her face; it was clear that she was greatly enjoying winding Miss Pentangle up.

Miss Pentangle rolled her eyes, but Mildred could see she was struggling not to smile at her friend’s teasing. “Well, who would you be, Miss _I Pretend I Haven’t Read It Even Though I Seem To Know Every Character Name_?”

“Oh, I’d think that would be rather obvious,” HB said, the smile gone from her face. “Potions teacher, wears black, not too good with-“

"I don’t think so, darling,” Miss Pentangle interrupted, shaking her head. “Not in the slightest. However much black you insist on wearing, I have faith that you’d _never_ let your hair get as greasy as Snape’s. I swear, that man wouldn't have been half as tortured if he’d just invested in some good shampoo.”

They both smiled at one another, the awkwardness averted. “Besides,” Miss Pentangle added in a softer tone. “You’re far more like Professor McGonagall, dear.”

“Do you think so?” HB asked, looking surprised.

“Oh, absolutely,” Miss Pentangle nodded, and HB responded with a shy smile.

Over the next hour, the girls listened eagerly, discovering all sorts of things about the two witches: that Miss Pentangle’s worst teaching moment was when she’d advised a nervous pupil to picture the examiners in their underwear, and her pupil then accidentally cast a spell _stripping_ the examiners into their underwear; that HB’s cat had once eaten all of the toads in the potions lab just before a test; that Miss Pentangle had once drunk so much mead at a fancy dinner that she’d ended the evening crying on the Great Wizard’s shoulder about how unfair it was that they’d cancelled _Charmed._

“And I thought we were bad,” Maud said. “If I’d known adults got up to all these sorts of things, I would never have used that forgetting potion. They’ve done far worse than we ever have!”

“If I was a grown up I’d _definitely_ be friends with Miss Pentangle,” Enid said. “I know Mum and Dad have said that she’s brilliant fun at parties.” Mildred could picture that, along with HB standing awkwardly in a corner making sarcastic comments about the rest of the guests.

Finally, there was only one card left on the table, which Miss Pentangle picked up. “What is your favourite spell?” she read out, giving a small smile, and Mildred suspected that she’d deliberately left this one until last.

“Well,” HB replied, taking a while to contemplate her answer. “Actually - there is one potion I made once - a few years ago. Just to see if I -“ she trailed off again, looking down with a shy smile on her face.

“Go on,” Miss Pentangle said kindly.

“It was an _Ikaros_ potion I found in a very old book,” HB started to explain, still looking down. “The ingredients were a nightmare to source, but I - I couldn’t help myself. It’s a strange blend; it protects you against the elements, and the pressure - it allows you almost to leave the atmosphere. And it worked, and I spent hours up there, right at the edge of space, flying through the northern lights on the solar wind. The earth, from up there, Pippa - it was just _beautiful_. You can see right down, over the oceans, and the mountains, and it was _magical._ ”

“Wow,” Mildred said, her mouth opening at the thought of flying up into space. HB, when she let herself, could be really passionate about things. And she _really_ loved magic.

By now, Miss Pentangle was leaning forward, and she had once again placed her hand on Miss Hardbroom’s arm. “It sounds wonderful, Hiccup,” she said. “Have you never tried it again?”

“No,” HB said, shaking her head. “I suppose it scared me a little, how exhilarated I felt, in a way - and besides, it’s very difficult to get hold of flowers of _erythrina schliebenii_ anymore, and I couldn’t really justify -“

“I know what to get!” Mildred exclaimed. “What was the name of that flower?”

Maud and Enid shrugged. “Ery-treina something or other?” Maud tried.

“We’ll find it,” Mildred said. “We’ll just have a look in the library for an _Ikantus_ spell, or whatever it was called; it’ll be in one of the books.”

“Anyway, what about you, Pipsqueak?” HB was saying as the girls looked back into the Maglet. “What’s your favourite spell?”

“Well,” Miss Pentangle said, and Mildred thought she looked a little nervous. “I am partial to the occasional dragon transformation, but, if I’m completely honest, my _very_ favourite spell is something rather more….intimate. In fact, I have a couple that I find most, well, enjoyable.“

“Oh. My. God.” Enid said, cackling loudly. “And _this_ just got interesting.”

“Intimate?” Maud said, looking puzzled.

“As in….you know,” Mildred said, blushing red herself.

“Oh,” Maud said, looking away in embarrassment. Perhaps, Mildred thought, they should stop watching, but she didn’t make any move to stop looking at the Maglet.

If they had blushed, though, it was nothing compared to HB; her face was scarlet and she seemed to have forgotten how to speak. “Ah,” she said eventually. “I - I see.”

“Not, of course,” Miss Pentangle said, leaning forward and looking coy. “That I’ve had much occasion to use them, of late. Running a school is very demanding and, one finds, it’s very hard to meet likeminded witches.”

“W - witches?” HB whimpered, squirming in her chair.

“I would have thought that, at least, was obvious, dear,” Miss Pentangle smiled. “I’ve never had the slightest bit of interest in wizards.”

“I - I see,” HB said, her face scarlet. “I - I hadn’t realised that. Not, of course, that it matters - I mean, I-”

“Gods, she’s useless,” Enid huffed. “ _Completely_ useless. I mean, what can Miss Pentangle do to make it more obvious?”

“Oh, Hiccup, I am sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable,” Miss Pentangle said, looking slightly disappointed. “It wasn’t my intention.”

At that, Miss Hardbroom looked panicked, afraid she’d been misunderstood. “You didn’t,” she sighed, reaching a hand out and placing it on Miss Pentangle’s arm. She was still crimson red. “I just - I hadn’t realised that you - I mean, I should mention that I also-“

“Prefer witches?” Miss Pentangle smiled. “I think that’s also rather obvious, dear.”

“It -It is?” HB jumped, and the girls all laughed.

“Er…..yeah,” Maud deadpanned. “Just a little bit, HB.”

“Yes, darling,” Miss Pentangle said, without missing a beat. “Anyway,” she continued, before HB could respond, “it’s late, Hiccup, and I really must be getting back. It’s been so lovely, Hecate, getting to know you better.”

HB had still not fully regained her powers of speech. “Yes,” she said eventually. “Yes, Pippa, it has. I find I - I find I look forward to these evenings very much.”

“As do I, dear,” Miss Pentangle said. “In fact, I cross off the days on my calendar all week. Now, Hiccup, do come and see me off,” she said, grabbing Miss Hardbroom’s hand before she vanished them both.

“Wow,” Maud said as Enid summoned the spy-fly back to Mildred's room. “That was something else.”

“Hey, we should sell tickets to this!” Enid said. “Imagine how many people would pay to see the terrifying HB blushing like an idiot! I swear, I never would have thought it but she’s the most _awkward_ -“

“You are _not_ getting us in any more trouble,” Maud interrupted. “I feel bad enough watching them anyway; if other people saw we’d never be able to keep it a secret. And if HB knew she wouldn’t just have us kicked out of the school, she’d kick us right out to the edge of space without any protective potion thingy.”

“Please,” Enid said, rolling her eyes. “You are definitely going to watch them again next week. Don’t even pretend otherwise.”

“Fine,” Maud shrugged, and they all knew Enid was right. There was no way that they could stop watching now - well, not unless HB finally got her act together.

Mildred nodded. “Well, I think it’s really sweet,” she said. “She really loves her, I think. HB. That’s why she’s such a mess. Anyway, we need to get this plant - maybe then HB can take Miss Pentangle with her out into space! Wouldn’t that be romantic?”

“Yeah,” Maud and Enid both sighed, looking rather wistful. Mildred knew what they meant; when she was older, she thought, it would be really nice to have someone look at her the way HB and Pentangle looked at each other. Really, really nice.

* * *

 

The next day, the three girls were to be found in the library poring through potions dictionaries. There was no sign of any _Ikanthus_ potion, but they all remembered that the flower Miss Hardbroom had mentioned was erytreina something or other.

“That must be it!” Mildred said excitedly, pointing to a drawing of a tree with bright red flowers. “ _Erythrina caffra_.”

“I thought it was something with an s,” Maud said.

“Well, sometimes Cs sound like Ss, don’t they?” Mildred reasoned. “Like, I don’t know, er-“

“Cigarette?” Enid suggested.

“Yeah!” Mildred agreed. “Although I hate the smell of those. But this flower must be like that.”

Maud didn’t look entirely convinced, but they couldn’t find anything else, and so half an hour later Enid used the prepaid account her mother had given her at Mungo’s - this _definitely_ classed as an emergency - to place an order for 500 grams of _erythrina caffr_ a, to be delivered as soon as possible to Miss Hecate Hardbroom at Miss Cackle’s Academy.

The three girls smiled. This was definitely a great idea.

And maybe it would have been, except for that a couple of days later Miss Hardbroom didn’t turn up to her second year potions lesson. They’d been waiting five minutes, and no sign - this had never happened before. Perhaps, Mildred thought, she was so busy brewing her flying potion with the gift they’d given her that she’d completely lost track of time.

Eventually, the class was making so much noise that Miss Drill bustled in, broomstick in hand.

“Where’s Miss Hardbroom?” Miss Drill enquired, looking puzzled.

“We don’t know, Miss Drill,” Ethel said in a superior tone. “She hasn't turned up.”

“Okay,” Miss Drill said, still sounding utterly confused. “That’s very strange. Well, I suppose I can’t leave you here on your own. Er - why don’t you practice something simple. Some sneezing potions, maybe?”

Mildred nudged Maud’s shoulder as they were putting in the batwing. “Hey,” she whispered, “do you think she’s off somewhere in space? With Miss Pentangle?”

“Maybe,” Maud said. “She must really have liked the present.”

As they were brewing, Miss Cackle eventually came in, and proceeded to talk to Miss Drill. From their cauldron at the front row, Mildred could catch snippets of what they were saying, and her and Maud listened silently.

“It’s really most strange, Dimity. Somebody appears to have sent her a packet of full of strange flowers in the mail. She touched them while she was opening the packet, and by the time she’d realised they were _erythrina caffra_ , it had already gone all over her hands.”

“ _Erythrina caffra_?” Miss Drill said. “As in coral tree flowers? They’re poisonous, aren’t they?”

“Exactly,” Miss Cackle said, and Mildred’s heart thumped. Oh no, she hadn’t meant at all to _hurt_ HB. But just as Mildred was about to rush up and confess, Miss Cackle continued. “Nothing too serious, of course - just a couple of open sores on her hands. We’ve healed them, we think, but I’ve told her to take the rest of the day off, as a precautionary measure.”

“No idea who it was from?” Miss Drill asked. “I mean, I know Hecate is, well, _Hecate_ , but I can’t imagine her rubbing anyone up the wrong way enough to want to hurt her.”

“I know,” Miss Cackle said. “It’s really very odd. We enquired at Mungo’s as to who ordered it, but they insist it’s their policy not to divulge customer details. Most irresponsible, if you ask me.”

Mildred and Maud looked at one another in dread, with Mildred giving an apologetic smile. “Sorry,” she whispered.

“Ah well,” Enid, who had also been listening to the conversation from her cauldron, said, coming over to place an arm over each of Maud and Mildred’s shoulders. “We tried our best. We’ll just have to think of Plan C, won’t we?”


	4. Attempt Three: To The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the girls get a little better at hatching matchmaking plans and HB gets (perhaps), just a little less useless. Only a little, mind. 
> 
> Fluff, fluff, fluff.

After the disaster with the flowers, Mildred had to admit that, so far, their matchmaking schemes weren’t exactly going to plan. Both Plan A and Plan B had seemed so foolproof, and yet so far all they had succeeded in doing was giving HB a variety of skin complaints. Worse still, Miss Hardbroom been especially irritable in the days since the _erythrina caffra_ incident, and, after giggling in potions when HB had brought out toads (Enid: “at least her cat didn’t eat them all this time”), Mildred, Maud and Enid had found themselves each with two hundred lines to write. 

Luckily, HB had left them alone in the library to finish them, which was the perfect time to plot, although at times like this they did start to wonder a little why they were _quite_ so keen to help her.

“What about love letters?” Mildred suggested, feeling excited as the idea came to her. “You’re a good writer, Maud, you could write a letter to HB pretending to be from Miss Pentangle!”

Maud looked horrified. “Mildred, just because I know how to use commas correctly does not mean I could fool HB into believing the letter was from _Miss Pentangle_. I know she’s all pink and everything, but she still speaks like a teacher. Besides, I-“

“I’ll do it!” Enid exclaimed with glee. “How hard can it be - all you have to do to sound like Miss Pentangle is flirt a lot and call HB ‘darling’ and ‘Hiccup’ all the time.”

“Enid, you don’t even put _capital letters_ in the right places,” Maud said, rolling her eyes.  “If HB got a letter from you she’d send it back to Miss Pentangle with spelling corrections all over it.” That was true, Mildred thought. Enid’s homework tended to come back with even more irritated red scribbles on it than hers did.   

“Bad plan?” Mildred said, doubting her initial idea. 

“Yes,” Maud pronounced, nodding her head. “ _Definitely_ a bad plan.”

All of a sudden, a figure materialised behind them. “Girls, do tell me what part of writing _witchcraft requires attention and discipline_ two hundred times requires you to _talk_?” HB drawled, and Mildred jumped in shock. Hopefully she hadn’t heard anything.

“Er, sorry Miss Hardbroom,” she tried, heart pulsing. “We were just-“

“You were just, I hope, reflecting on the fact that your attendance at this year’s Christmas Ball is _entirely_ conditional on my goodwill,” Miss Hardbroom said, arching an eyebrow.

“Ball?” Maud said, looking nervously at HB.

“Indeed, Maud Spellbody,” Miss Hardbroom replied. “The Cackle’s Christmas Ball is going to be a little earlier this year; we are holding it next Saturday. As you would have known, had you three not given me cause to confiscate your Maglets.” She sounded as intimidating as ever; it was rather hard to believe, Mildred thought, that this was the same HB whom she’d seen only a few days ago stunned into silence when Miss Pentangle said she preferred witches. Then again, people were strange, especially HB. Maybe HB would relax a little more at the ball, when it was - that was it; _the ball!_

“Mildred Hubble, do please stop daydreaming for once and _get on with your work_ ,” HB said, her teeth clenched in irritation. 

“Yes, Miss Hardbroom,” Mildred said, trying to keep the smile from her face as her form mistress vanished.

After waiting a few seconds to make sure that HB was really gone, Mildred couldn’t contain her excitement any longer.  “I’ve got it!” she said, looking around her to check Miss Hardbroom hadn’t just materialised again, as she had a habit of doing. “I’ve got a great plan! We need to persuade Miss Cackle to invite Pentangle’s Academy to the ball!”

“Ooh,” Maud said, her eyes widening. “That _is_ a good plan. It’s so lovely, with the meal and the tree and the dancing - maybe they’ll dance together…”

“I can’t picture HB _dancing_ ,” Mildred giggled. At last year’s ball, she’d shown up in her everyday witching robes and stood stiffly at the side monitoring the pupils, a single, barely-touched glass of wine in her hand.

“I’m not sure Miss Pentangle will give her much of a choice,” Enid replied with a grin, and the three girls looked at each other and laughed. And with that, Plan C was at long last born. 

* * *

 

The next Tuesday, the girls were waiting to see if their plan had worked. They’d tried very hard to convince Miss Cackle that their idea of inviting Pentangle’s was _in no way_ connected to their earlier attempt to put truth potion in Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle’s tea; no, of course not, they were only trying to be friendly, and thought it would be nice to meet some more of the Pentangle’s pupils. The Spelling Bee had been so much fun, after all. 

Miss Cackle had nodded, and said she would give the matter some thought. Mildred had felt disappointed, but Enid had told her to wait. “Just wait, Millie” she’d said calmly. “We know Miss Cackle’s on our side: I don’t think she’ll be able to resist. And Miss Pentangle will _definitely_ say yes!”

“Do you think Miss Pentangle will even come tonight?” Maud said as Enid was setting up the spy-fly. “The weather’s awful out there: Miss Drill would never let us fly in that.” It had been drizzling all day, but over the last hour the drizzle had become a raging storm, with occasional forks of lightning darting through the sky and gusting winds howling at Mildred’s window. 

“Oh, I think she’ll come,” Mildred said, smiling. Miss Pentangle was so in love with HB that Mildred thought she’d fly through far worse than a storm to spend the evening with her. 

When the spy-fly snuck through the keyhole and into its position on the doorframe, the girls could see Miss Hardbroom pacing nervously up and down the room, her shoulders ramrod straight. She kept glancing at the window.

“She’s really worried about her,” Maud said, and Mildred nodded. For all HB told her off all the time and made her write lines, Mildred was starting to sense how much HB _felt_ everything, somehow. And she could tell she really loved Miss Pentangle. 

Finally, after about five minutes of them watching HB stride furiously, Miss Pentangle appeared behind her friend. With a gasp, Mildred noted that her robes were soaked - and a large mud stain had appeared on the front of them - her hair was half out of its updo, and there were bits of twig sticking out of it. She, however, was smiling, and Mildred thought that somehow, she still managed to look glamorous. "Well met, Hiccup,” she said, tapping HB on her shoulder. 

"Pippa!" Miss Hardbroom exclaimed, swirling round before grabbing her friend by the forearms and looking her up and down, as if checking for damage. "I was so - why on _earth_ did you fly in this weather, you complete and-"

“Oh, it'd take more than a silly little storm to keep me away, Hecate," Miss Pentangle interrupted, smiling. "Besides, after four hours listening to my old windbag Chair of Governors blather on about how even witching schools need to adhere to council building codes, a bit of _actual_ wind was rather exhilarating.”

Having finished her inspection and concluded that Miss Pentangle wasn't hurt, HB shook her head in disbelief. “Pippa Pentangle, you are honestly the most-" she trailed off, before tentatively pulling Miss Pentangle into a hug.

"Brilliant? Beautiful?" Miss Pentangle pondered, stroking her hands softly up HB's back.

"I was going for _idiotic_ ," HB drawled, but Mildred could see that she had a soft smile on her face. Then, she seemed to remember herself, and stiffened her body before pulling back and, once again, seeming to check her friend for injuries. 

The girls let out a collective groan. 

“Gods, HB,” Enid said, sounding just as frustrated as Mildred felt. “She’s flown all the way through a storm to see you, you idiot. Just kiss her already!”

"Now, let's get you into some dry clothes," HB was saying, before waving her hand multiple times. In a second, both witches were wearing their pyjamas, and Miss Pentangle’s hair was dry and combed. At times like this, Mildred was so glad she had magic, even if she couldn’t use it properly yet. It really did make things so much easier sometimes.

“Thank you, darling,” Miss Pentangle sighed, sounding relieved to be out of her soaked robes. She walked over and slumped into her customary chair, curling her feet beneath her.

“I’ve kept your tea warm for you,” HB said, gesturing to the cups of tea and doughnuts on the coffee table. 

Miss Pentangle looked thoughtful, rubbing her hands together as if she were still cold. ”Do you have anything stronger?" she eventually asked with a smile. ”After the day I've had, I'm not sure tea is going to cut it.” It didn’t stop her, though, picking up a doughnut from the plate. 

"Pippa, it's a school night," HB admonished, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm not sure that alcohol, broomsticks and force ten gales are really the most advisable combination." 

"Oh, come on, Hiccup, one won't hurt," Miss Pentangle replied. "Besides, I suspect the storm is settling in: if it doesn't get better I may have to impose myself upon you and Ada this evening." Miss Pentangle didn't, Mildred thought, sound at all worried by that prospect - indeed, Mildred wouldn't have been that surprised to find her cooking up a weather spell to make it entirely impossible for her to fly back to Pentangle’s.

“Ooh, do you think they’ll share a bed?” Enid said, a wicked smile on her face.

“Enid!” Maud interrupted, giving her friend a shove. “And if they do,” she added in a warning tone, “we are _definitely_ not leaving the spy-fly in there. It’s creepy enough us spying on them as it is.” 

“Fine,” Enid huffed. “Spoilsport.” 

Mildred shushed her friends and looked back at the Maglet only to find she’d missed HB’s response. Sure enough though, HB was stood by her desk, where she was pouring a dark liquid from a bottle into a couple of small crystal glasses. Finishing, she transferred one into Miss Pentangle’s hand.

"Oh, this is heavenly," Miss Pentangle murmured, closing her eyes in pleasure as she sipped indulgently at the contents of the glass. HB, Mildred saw, couldn't look away from her. "What is this, Hiccup?"

“It’s a _Bodegas Tradicion Oloroso,_ 30 years old,” Miss Hardbroom said, pronouncing the Spanish words perfectly.

"It's wonderful," Miss Pentangle said, looking over at HB with that sweet smile she had. “I sense you’re quite the connoisseur, Hecate. And I love it when you speak Spanish.”

HB could speak Spanish? There were all sorts of things, it seemed, that Mildred didn’t know about her teacher. 

“Now, darling, come and sit with me by the fire,” Miss Pentangle said. “Let’s both be cosy.” And, with a wave of her hand, her chair was transformed into a small sofa.

“Wow,” Mildred said, smiling softly. “Miss Pentangle is trying even harder tonight, isn’t she?”

HB stood by her desk, looking taken aback, but eventually stiffened herself and, shoulders tight, walked slowly over to the sofa before sitting primly down as far as she possibly could from Miss Pentangle, who just shook her head with a slightly sad smile.

“How are your hands, darling?” Miss Pentangle asked, and Mildred could see that it was now her who was inspecting her friend. “It was most strange, all that business with the coral tree flowers.”

Mildred gulped. She still felt bad about the fact that they’d accidentally poisoned HB; she hoped her hands were really alright.

“Oh, they’re fine, honestly,” HB replied. “Ada and I healed them before the sores could spread. I suspect it must have been a disgruntled former pupil, although thankfully one who didn’t pay sufficient attention in Potions to send me something that would do any serious harm.”

“Phew,” Enid said. “It seems they’ve no idea that one was us.”

“Do you really think so, Hiccup?” Miss Pentangle said, looking sympathetic. “I know you’re strict, and yes, you terrify the first years, but all the girls soon come to realise how much you care about them. It would be a very mean girl indeed who would-“

“That’s what Ada said,” Miss Hardbroom sighed, looking down at her hands. “But I am aware that my manner can be easily - _misunderstood_ , I suppose.”

“You just want them to be the best they can be,” Miss Pentangle said. “I think, Hecate, that deep down your girls know that.” 

Miss Hardbroom didn’t reply, and Mildred didn’t look at Maud and Enid. She didn’t really want to admit it out loud, but she, at least, did know that.  She’d thought it more and more last year, especially after HB had been kind to her when she’d tried to get Miss Cackle out of the picture; looking back, even when HB was strict she was always trying to make Mildred a better witch. And she’d said, hadn’t she, that Mildred had potential…

Just as Mildred was getting lost in her own head, she heard Maud and Enid gasp. As she looked back at the Maglet, she saw that Miss Pentangle had stretched and then twisted, so that her legs slung over the arm of the sofa and her back was pressed right up against HB's side. "I'm afraid I'm repurposing you as a pillow, Hiccup," she said, closing her eyes. "I've had such a day that even one glass of sherry seems to have me nodding off."

"Whoah," Enid said. "Pentangle's going for it. Don't mess it up, HB!"

Miss Hardbroom sat there very stiffly, her left hand clutched in a tight fist on the arm of the sofa as Miss Pentangle slouched against her.

"Pippa, I-" HB eventually piped up. 

"Ssh, darling," Miss Pentangle said, turning her head and directing the soft smile at her friend. HB's face was flushed, and she looked like she was trying to control her breathing. "I'll get up, if you want me to. If you're uncomfortable."

"No," Miss Hardbroom said, a little too quickly. "You're fine - I just-" but she'd lost her words again, lapsing into silence. 

"Okay," Miss Pentangle said, smiling softly up. "Then just relax. Turn that brain of yours off for once, and just give me a hug. Like - like we used to."

At that, HB nodded her head dumbly. Holding her breath, she gingerly lengthened the sofa, put her own feet upon it, then put her arms around Miss Pentangle's waist and pulled her back further, so that their bodies were flush together. Miss Pentangle sighed contentedly, and after a minute or so even HB seemed to be relaxing, ever so tentatively moving one of her hands up from Miss Pentangle's waist to stroke softly through her hair. 

“Oh. My. God.” Maud said, and the three girls looked at each other with huge smiles. Perhaps they wouldn’t need Miss Cackle after all.

"Mmm, that's nice, Hecate," Miss Pentangle purred, turning them both slightly so her side was pressed close between the back of the sofa and HB's front, and Mildred thought she seemed nearly asleep. Miss Hardbroom's face too had changed; instead of fear, she was looking at Miss Pentangle as if she were made of pure magic, as if she couldn't believe she was allowed to touch her, that Miss Pentangle wanted her to touch her. "I've missed these hugs so."

"You have?" HB whispered, as if she couldn't quite dare to believe it.

"Mmmm," Miss Pentangle hummed sleepily, nestling further into HB's arms.

"I don't think I'll ever see HB in the same way again," Maud said, a smile on her face as she watched the witches. "She's really quite...sweet, underneath all that, isn't she?"

"Who'd have thought it?" Enid said. "I'm even starting to get what it is Miss Pentangle might see in her. How can't HB see that, though?"

"I think that maybe she's starting to," Mildred said, looking dreamily on as her fearsome potions teacher ever so softly stroked Miss Pentangle's hair, the two of them cuddling in front of the roaring fire.

Then, just as the witches both looked to be asleep, there was a sharp rap at the door. HB  jerked forwards at the noise, awaking Miss Pentangle, and they both slowly sat up.

"I-I should get that," HB said dazedly. "It could be about the girls."

In her sleepy state, she evidently forgot to magic them back into their robes, only realising once she opened the door to a thoroughly unsurprised looking Miss Cackle.

“Yes!” Mildred exclaimed on seeing the headmistress at the door. “I knew Miss Cackle liked our idea!”

"Hecate, dear," Miss Cackle said, ignoring HB's own look of shock as she realised what she and Miss Pentangle were wearing. "Ah, and there you are, Pippa, I was hoping you'd be here - I wasn't sure if you'd have come given the storm. I'm terribly sorry to have interrupted your evening."

"Not at all, Ada," Miss Pentangle said, all smiles and not at all sleepy looking as she walked over to join HB at the door. "Do come in."

Miss Cackle obliged, and if she noticed the fact that one of the two armchairs had become a sofa, she didn't let on, sitting in the other armchair before waving her hand to magic them all slices of the cheesecake that she kept in her office. HB and Miss Pentangle sat right next to one another back on the sofa, still in their pyjamas, and Mildred could see their legs were still touching, ever so slightly.

"Now, Pippa, I had something of an idea to run by you. You see, on Saturday Cackle's will be holding our annual Christmas ball. There's a dinner and dance, and it's always marvellous fun. Anyway, I know it's last minute, but I was thinking that this year, how about we make it a joint event? Your pupils and staff could sleep here; we have plenty of room for you all in the castle."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful, Ada," Miss Pentangle said, her voice sounding genuinely pleased. "Hiccup, did you know about this?"

"No," Miss Hardbroom said, eyeing Miss Cackle suspiciously. "No, this is entirely Miss Cackle's idea."

"No, it's _our_ idea," Maud pronounced, and the girls smiled at one another broadly. Finally, it seemed, they were getting something right.

"Well, what a wonderful idea it is!" Miss Pentangle said, placing a hand excitedly on Miss Hardbroom's arm. Mildred could see that Miss Cackle had noticed, as she gave HB a very quick glance, before looking away with a smile. "I shall have to check with my staff, of course, but if they're agreed then I would love to accept your invitation.”

"Of course," Miss Cackle said, looking back at Miss Hardbroom knowingly. “And you must stay here tonight, Pippa, instead of flying back. Hecate'll sort you out with one of the guest rooms later - assuming, of course that you're not -“

“Not _what?”_ HB asked, her tone sounding slightly threatening. Miss Pentangle, they could see, looked slightly wistful.

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” Miss Cackle said, a mischievous smile on her face. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, ladies, I really must be off - I’m afraid I’m running out of excuses to avoid accepting Davina’s invitation to listen to her new album of rediscovered Carolignian chanting. Apparently Charles the Bald had quite the falsetto.” At that, all three witches looked slightly pained. “I’ll mirror you tomorrow, Pippa, and we can go through the details for Saturday.” With that, she transferred herself away, taking her half-eaten piece of cheesecake with her. 

"I knew Miss Cackle was on our side!" Mildred shouted.

"And to think she told us not to meddle," Enid agreed, shaking her head in mock disappointment. " _That_ was _definitely_ meddling." 

"Yep," Maud said, a broad grin on her face.

“Please don’t feel - don’t feel obliged to say yes, Pippa,” Miss Hardbroom said, sounding awkward again as she placed the barely touched cheesecake down on the table. “You know how Ada is; she gets ideas, but it’s terribly short notice, and I’m sure your staff-“

“Oh Hiccup, do stop worrying,” Miss Pentangle interrupted. “I think it's a wonderful idea. Now, do tell me, what does one wear to a Cackle's Christmas Ball?"

Miss Hardbroom raised an eyebrow at her friend, as if she were already imagining what pink gown Miss Pentangle would show up in. "Well, in your case, I imagine some giant meringue monstrosity of the sort you wore back at school."

"It was the 80s, they were very fashionable!" Miss Pentangle protested, giving HB a playful punch on her arm. "Although I do have to concede that the baby pink taffeta and the bubble perm may not have been my finest fashion hour..."

"I suspect," HB said nonchalantly. "In fact, I'm fairly certain that I still have a photo of that, somewhere," she continued, looking at her nails with just a glimmer of a grin. 

"Hiccup," Miss Pentangle said in a warning tone, giving her friend another nudge in her side. HB was still smirking. "I should let you know that if that photo ever sees the light of day, I'm sure your girls would very much enjoy seeing pictures of their oh-so-fearsome Miss Hardbroom in her - oh what is it they'd call it now - ah yes, emo phase." She flashed HB a smug smile.

The girls all looked at one another, mouths wide open in amazement. HB had had an _emo_ phase? “I would pay a lot of money to see that picture,” Enid said. “I bet she listened to death metal and wore _way_ too much eyeliner.”

"You do that, Pippa Pentangle," HB threatened in her teacher voice. "and I’m sure you will enjoy the rest of your days scrabbling through the Cackle’s greenhouse as a common woodlouse.”

“Oh, couldn’t you pick me something a little more colourful?” Miss Pentangle said, smirking. “I think I’d make an excellent katydid, for example. They’re such a lovely pink.” 

HB simply rolled her eyes. “I assume, then, that you’ll be turning up to this ball in some offensive shade of magenta?”

“Of course,” Miss Pentangle smiled. “What about you, Hiccup? Do I have even the slightest chance of coaxing you out of your black robes?"

HB blushed profusely, and Miss Pentangle then giggled, as if she'd only just realised what was funny about what she'd said. Enid let out a giggle too, and Maud looked a little confused. Mildred thought she understood, but wasn't sure enough that she wanted to talk about it with the others. 

HB, to give her credit, was quicker to recover than she'd been last week. "I wear the same thing every year to the ball, Pippa, and you'll be disappointed to know that it is my normal black witching robes. I must supervise the girls, after all. Although -" she started, before trailing off.

"Yes, dear," Miss Pentangle prompted.

"Perhaps it may be time for a change. After all," she continued, so softly that the girls craned their heads down to the Maglet to hear. "It seems that lately -some other things seem to be -"

"Changing?" Miss Pentangle said, the softest of smiles on her face.

"Yes," HB nodded.

"They do, don't they," Miss Pentangle mused, and the girls looked at one another in excited hope. "I hope, though," Miss Pentangle added, looking a little nervous. "That I haven't ever made you uncomfortable, Hiccup. I don't - I can't bear to lose you again."

At that, Miss Hardbroom looked like she could cry; in fact, Mildred could see, both witches had tears in their eyes. "You haven't," she replied, taking Miss Pentangle's hand in hers and squeezing it. "You haven't, and you won't. This - I - having you here, it means so much to me.”

“To me too,” Miss Pentangle said, and Mildred could see her stroking HB’s fingers with her own. “I hope you know that.”

“I - I do,” HB smiled softly, looking incredibly shy all of a sudden.

“Good,” Miss Pentangle said, pulling HB once again into a hug. This time, HB didn’t stiffen, and it was eventually Miss Pentangle who pulled back. “Now,” she said, and Mildred could see that she'd taken hold of HB's hand and was stroking her fingers again. “I need to go and mirror Pentangle’s to tell them I won’t be back tonight, and then I think I really must go to sleep. I’ll have to be off early in the morning to make it back before breakfast.”

“Of course,” HB said, standing up and pulling Miss Pentangle up with her. They were still smiling at each other, and Mildred thought that maybe, just maybe, HB had finally understood. “I’ll show you to one of the guest rooms.” And with that, they vanished.

“Aaawww,” Mildred said, looking dreamily at Maud and Enid. “It’s so romantic, HB and Miss Pentangle. I’m not sure they even need us anymore.”

“Of _course_ they need us,” Enid replied confidently. “Without us Miss Pentangle wouldn’t be coming to the ball!”

“So what do we do now?” Maud said. “Maybe we should just leave it alone; they’re almost there now anyway.”

“We could…” Enid said, sounding unconvinced. “Or…”

“I know!” Mildred exclaimed. “You have the _Cinderella_ story in the witching world, right?”

Maud and Enid nodded.

“Well, you know how when Cinderella gets ready for the ball, she has a fairy godmother?”

Again, Maud and Enid nodded. 

“Well, we’d have to be a little more behind the scenes than that,” Mildred conceded, for HB would surely carry out her woodlouse threat on them if she ever found out about it, “but wouldn’t it be good if, before the ball, HB got just a little bit of help from her three fairy goddaughters?”

At that, the three young witches smiled at one another. Fairy goddaughters. They liked the sound of that.


End file.
